BUSINESS & ECONOMY

The first merchant on Woody Island (as far as we can determine) was Robert Barrett, the immigrant from England. His business is thought to have been situated on Barrett's Point and it was a barter system with fish being the main commodity used in bartering. Robert Barrett, besides being a businessman, owned a lot of land and kept cattle and servants. He owned two small boats, which he used to fish for cod and herring. Once when a young John Williams owed him money but could not repay him Mr. Barrett took John's land from him and gave the land to his daughter Sarah and her husband, Philip Stacey. John Williams then left and went to Pools Cove, Fortune Bay.

Soon after Robert Barrett died, another businessman came on the scene, James Williams. Jimmy's business was based on the same system, the barter system. He handled cod, lobster and herring. A little later around 1905-1907, two other businessmen came on the scene. One of these was Tom Williams (no relation to Jimmy) who had a store for Tommy Wakely, who was located on Haystack, another Island about twelve miles from Woody Island. The other man was Dave Kelly, a jew from Syran, who was located a Old Cove, on the Eastern end of the Island. He too was called a barter businessman, with cod being the main commodity.

1910 was considered a good year. If you had one quintal of fish, you could buy one barrel of flour, one gallon of molasses, and one pound of tea. At this time raisons, pork and beef were all seven cents a pound, while kerosene was 18 cents a gallon. At this time all cod that was caught was dried. The fishermen had a credit account with the merchant and in the fall of the year all his fish were turned in on the account. If there was a profit, it was taken up in goods from the merchants store. Cash itself was very rare.

In 1912, Robert Williams started a business. This business had formerly been located at Tack's Beach. It had been run by a man named Brown for G.C. Fern in St. John's. When Brown died, Robert Williams took over the business for Fern and brought it to Woody Island. Fern stocked the store on commission. The commission was six cents to the dollar. The store carried just about every kind of supply that was needed, but only in small quantities. Cod, lobster and herring were then caught and exchanged by the fishermen. When G.C. Fern died, Robert Williams started selling for Dave Kelly on commission.

In the late 1920's Kelly's store was burned and he left the Island. Robert then started selling for Walter Beck who has a large business on Sound Island. When Walter Beck's business burned in the early 30's Robert Williams started selling for E.H. Beck. This agreement lasted until 1939 when Robert's son, Bert took over the business. Bert did not have his business on commission, but was independent. This store carried just about everything to meet the peoples needs, such as clothing , footwear, hardware, groceries, etc. This local store situated on the Western end of Woody Island was known as a court room, a Sunday School, a gossip centre, etc. Where some were praised, others were cursed, with teachers and clergy not escaping comment. People stayed in the store sometimes to gossip, other times it was for more serious reasons. There was sympathy expressed and people felt and shared the other fellows burdens and joys. The businessmen very often took part in the conversations, it was sometimes impossible not to. Bert Williams was lay-reader, church board chairman, member of the School Board, acted as advisor for people in conflict, wrote letters, settled disputes and forgave debtors. This business lasted until centralization forced Bert Williams to move from the Island in 1969.

Mr. Williams also played an important part in transportation of Woody Island. He owned a passenger boat, the Kevin. In 1962 the Kevin was replaced by the Thunderbird, a boat built in Boston and bought form some businessman in Spencers Cove. This passenger boat was running from Swift Current to Woody Island. The fee for the trip varied. If a person went to Swift Current and came back the same day, his fee would be four dollars. If he went to Swift Current and remained there, he paid four dollars. If a man had a big family, his fare was usually cut from four dollars to some amount. The fee was collected from the passengers in an informal way.

Wilson Williams and Alec Lockyer also operated passenger boats and a business on the opposite end of the Island, known as Old Cove. Wilson Williams's business was similar to Burt Williams, he also sold some dry goods and footwear as well as groceries. He operated this business for approximately 40 years. He was still maintaining a good business when resettlement began. In 1990 at about 65 years old the wooden structure of his store still remains on Woody Island. He lost his boat the Maggie Loretta, in 1966 when it caught fire and burned. At one time when bringing passengers from Swift Current he noticed water running out underneath the bathroom door, to discover that one of his passengers sat on the cover of the toilet seat instead of rising it up.

Alec Lockyer started a business after he returned home, having joined the British Navy in 1940, he served in the Second World War. In 1946 he joined the merchant marine. The last trip he made was to sail around the world on the Island Side, owned be Atlantic Shipping, it took exactly nine months. They left Halifax January 5/46, arrived in the Middle East through the Suez Canal, to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aiden, India, Philippians, China, back to Vancouver through the Panama Canal, to the Caribbeans, across the Atlantic to Germany. From Germany, to London, then new Jersey Arriving at Montreal October 5/46. He returned home in 1949, bought a boat called the Galtire. He started a wholesale and distributer business for beverage sales. In 1953, he started a retail and wholesale business on Woody Island, that consisted of groceries, hardware, and fishing supplies, which expanded to other communities in Placentia Bay. This business was still in operation on Woody Island in 1978, ten years following the resettlement program for the few families that remained behind, and the many that came back in the spring, summer, and fall to fish.

The "James & Lucy", also owned by Alec Lockyer, was loved and enjoyed by family and friends and well known in most communities around Placentia bay. The James & Lucy delivered the mail to thirteen post offices in Placentia Bay twice a week including Woody Island. This was known as the Arnold's Cove and Isle Valen water service. It was a year-round service so they had to face the rough water and icy chill of the winter days, as well as the sun and rain of the summer. One winters day in spite of 50-mile winds and sub zero temperatures, which covered his boat with inches of ice, he got the mail through.